Behind Your Ear
by CRyogenic-maelStr01m
Summary: Drabble, post-AJ. Phoenix has a magic trick for Iris after dinner and a movie.


Summary: Drabble, post-AJ. Phoenix has a magic trick for Iris after dinner and a movie.

Please excuse any ignorance from me about dates or fine dining *sweatdrop* Or magic tricks, for that matter...

* * *

"Hey, Iris, want to see a magic trick?"

The former nun blinked, an odd look briefly crossing her features before morphing into a tentative smile. (_What an odd thing to ask after all that…_)

Indeed, the man sitting beside her on the couch of the Wright Anything Agency had just taken her out on what was possibly the most romantic date she could ever have imagined. He'd started off the evening by appearing at her door, rose in hand, the very moment she'd opened it to leave the apartment she'd moved to some time after her release, taxi waiting at the curb to take them to their destination. Said destination had been that new restaurant she'd been eyeing for months; what awaited them inside had been an isolated table, shielded by thin paper dividers from the eyes of fellow patrons, lit dimly by candle alone. She hadn't needed to order; rather than being handed a menu, a number of her favorite dishes and a few new ones were brought to the table soon after they were seated, and she and her loveable ex-attorney boyfriend dined in peace, chatting amiably on occasion but content to simply be near each other.

At some point just before dessert, however, Iris overheard a loud "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" joyfully sobbed by a feminine voice from one of the other unseen tables. As they had been awaiting the champagne, Iris had had the fleeting thought that perhaps today, after seven years of meeting in secret and four months of openly dating, her wonderful man would finally pop the question with a ring hidden in her glass. But, alas… it was not so.

Instead, she felt mildly disappointed, as their dinner ended without fanfare and Phoenix took her back to the Wright Anything Agency, emptied for the night, to watch a rented movie. To be specific, it was the one depicted in the poster that was still on the wall from when the office still belonged to her cousin, Mia Fey; it had taken roughly ten years, but he finally found it, and it was indeed the tearjerker it had been said to be.

Again, Iris had expected something after the movie. Again, Phoenix had chosen to do something entirely different. Namely, show her a magic trick.

(_Oh well,_) she thought wistfully, (_I suppose if he isn't ready to take that step, then he just isn't ready…_

_I certainly hope he will be soon, though…_)

Phoenix gave a sheepish grin as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter, and in that moment Iris knew instantly what trick he wanted to show her. She giggled lightly, a hand unconsciously rising to hide her mouth.

"Trucy showed me how to do this. It's not much, but…" Phoenix held up the quarter. "See this?"

"It's a quarter," Iris replied, smiling lightly. Phoenix grinned back at her and waved the hand holding the coin with a flourish.

"Ta-da!" He held his hands out, showing Iris his empty palms.

"It disappeared!" she exclaimed, feigning surprise. "Where did it go?"

"I don't know," the ex-attorney replied, still grinning, "but what's that I see behind your ear?"

Iris reached behind her ear, as if searching for the object her boyfriend indicated, and came up with nothing. "There's nothing behind my ear," she chided in a mock patronizing tone.

"Oh, I don't know… I definitely see something back there. Here, let me get it for you." Phoenix reached behind her ear, meeting her eyes with a playful, loving gaze. She giggled as she heard the small thump of something falling into her boyfriend's hand next to her ear, and stared into his eyes as he pulled back his hand, closed loosely around the trinket he found.

Phoenix uncurled his fingers to reveal the quarter from before. "Ta-da!" he exclaimed brightly, grinning. "It was behind your ear!"

She giggled again. (_Oh, Feenie…_) she thought. (_If only we could be together like this forever…_) Her smile faded as she looked off to the side and remembered that her dear Feenie still wasn't ready to wed her yet, to claim her as his for eternity. She wished… Oh, how she wished…

"Hey, wait." Iris was torn abruptly from her internal musings by her boyfriend's voice.

"Hmm?" The ex-nun internally winced; her tone accidentally gave insight to her inner despondency.

The spiky-haired man reached behind her other ear with his other hand. "I think I see something else…" Another light thump, and once more he pulled back his hand. He looked at the small object, an unreadable expression spreading across his visage.

"… Feenie…?" She looked at him, confused and a tad concerned. Why did he suddenly look so… solemn…?

After a while, he finally spoke, softly and lowly, a hint of shaky nervousness in his tone.

"I think this is yours…" and here he showed her the item, "… if you will be mine."

Her eyes widened as she gasped, a hand flying up to cover her mouth. Tears of joy welled in her eyes; she couldn't believe it! Twice tonight, she had expected a proposal after an activity. The one time she expected nothing…

Iris placed a soft, small hand over Phoenix's large one and leaned in for a soft, tender kiss. When they finally broke apart, she leaned her forehead against his, tears happily spilling from her eyes, and smiled.

"Always and forever, Feenie. Always and forever."

Between their hands was a ring.


End file.
